Talking Dateline: The Room Downstairs
- Dec 4, 2024
- 19:29
- Full Episode
Josh Mankiewicz catches up with Andrea Canning about her episode, “The Room Downstairs.” In March 2011, a suburban New Jersey home was suddenly engulfed in flames. When firefighters entered the basement, they found 59-year-old Robert Cantor dead on a bed. An autopsy revealed that he’d been fatally shot before the fire was set. Andrea and Josh talk about the love triangle that pointed investigators to their prime suspect and the circumstantial case that resulted in his conviction – twice. Plus, Andrea shares two podcast-exclusive interview clips, one from the victim’s best friend and the other from his killer.
See the sweater Tung wore during his interview: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ijdpFw5AMm4?feature=share
Listen to the full episode of “The Room Downstairs” on Apple: https://apple.co/41vjGSW
Listen to the full episode on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Bp75v2QXrJwaeUlAVO8WJ
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Brief Summary
Robert Cantor's murder reveals a love triangle and circumstantial evidence against Tony Tung, leading to a complex investigation and emotional fallout.
Key points
- The Room Downstairs. A house fire reveals a murder, leading to a complex love triangle.
- Circumstantial Evidence. The case against Tony Tung relies heavily on circumstantial evidence, raising questions about its validity.
- The Sweater Story. A hideous sweater worn by Tony Tung during an interview becomes a character in its own right.
Episode highlights
- The Room DownstairsA house fire reveals a murder, leading to a complex love triangle.“This case sort of takes us to the oldest motive in the book: jealousy, passion, revenge.”0:58Dec 4, 2024
- Circumstantial EvidenceThe case against Tony Tung relies heavily on circumstantial evidence, raising questions about its validity.“Sometimes circumstantial evidence is much better than direct evidence.”6:18Dec 4, 2024
- The Sweater StoryA hideous sweater worn by Tony Tung during an interview becomes a character in its own right.“This sweater has lived on and almost is another character in the show.”9:50Dec 4, 2024
